Microsoft still can't convince Windows users to upgrade to the "new" version.
Almost three years after its official launch - on October 5, 2021 - can we still talk about a "new" version when we talk about Windows 11? The question arises, but for Microsoft, the adoption rate of this latest version of its operating system is a thorn in its side. The American company has tried everything to make Windows 11 the figurehead of the x86 PC world, but incentives and almost subliminal messages have failed.
Distribution of Windows versions, June 2024 © Neowin
Citing the latest data gathered and published by StatCounter, the Neowin site reports an estimated 66.1% market share for... Windows 10! Put another way, this means that almost three years after its launch, Windows 11 has managed to "convince" less than 30% - 29.7% to be exact - of the entire PC world. Admittedly, this represents a new high for the operating system, which has seen its market share increase by 2.14 points over one month, while Windows 10 has fallen by 2.23 points, but it's still a tough pill for Microsoft to swallow, given that official support for Windows 10 is due to end in October 2025.
More generally, and no doubt even more embarrassingly for Microsoft, the whole Windows world is in fact falling back against the onslaught of its competitors. Ten years ago, it was estimated that Microsoft controlled almost 90% of computers with Windows, whereas today it is present on just 72.8% of machines, with the rise of Apple and Linux solutions in particular. The question is therefore whether the Copilot+ revolution touted by Microsoft will be an opportunity to boost Windows adoption and, why not, get the ball rolling for the successor to Windows 11.
